Possessive Apostrophe

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KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Possessive Apostrophe

Post by KS10 »

I am struggling to find the correct answer.

Is it

the princess' hair or the princess's hair?

Some sites say either is ok but to be consistent. Does anyone know for sure?
Okanagan
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by Okanagan »

Modern usage seems to be that you write it as you would say it - so princess's. I suspect if you look at older sources you'll probably find the other version, especially for names - St James' Church or St Thomas' Hospital - althouth London has St James's Park for example - so bang goes that theory!
KS10
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Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by KS10 »

Thanks. I was going to check in Eats, Shoots and Leaves but can't find it.
mike1880
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Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by mike1880 »

I'm sure we've had this question before. I like the advice here:

http://motivatedgrammar.wordpress.com/2 ... ssessives/

So probably princess's dresses (and even princess's scissors imho) but most likely Moses' swimming trunks rather than Moses's.
KS10
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Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by KS10 »

Bookmarked!
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by ginx »

Interesting one as my sons both have names ending in "s". I tend to put ***s' rather than ***s's. I'm with you, mike1880, princess's, but not Moses's'.
KS10
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Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by KS10 »

I have a vague memory of s' or s's being explained in Eats, Shoot and Leaves - something to do with old names - but I wasn't sure if the same applied to words ending in ss. I must find that book.
scary mum
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Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by scary mum »

Both are correct as far as I know.
scary mum
Minesatea
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Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by Minesatea »

From Eats, shoots and Leaves:
Current guides to punctuation state that with modern names ending in "s", the "s" is required after the apostrophe: Keats's poems, Philippa Jones's book, St James's Square
With names from the ancient world, it is not: Archimedes' screw, Achilles' heel
If the name ends in an "iz" sound, an exception is made: Bridges' score, Moses' tablets
And an exception is always made for Jesus: Jesus' disciples
However, these are matters of style and preference that are definitely not set in stone, and it's a good idea not to get fixated about them.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Possessive Apostrophe

Post by KS10 »

Found it :D. It's the section just before that that explains what I was looking for.
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